Our
Meissenis
carefully selected for both quality and condition enabling
our customers to buy with confidence. Our online gallery of
19th century antique Meissen porcelain displays over 40 pieces
from our much larger inventory which is all on display in
the shop (click "contact details" button above for
our opening times). The variety on offer ranges from small
figures to large and important objects and with hundreds of
pieces to choose from we are bound to have somthing to delight.

Meissen's collectability,
means that searching and assembling a set, for example the
5 senses (pictured top right), can be as much a part of the
fun as the appreciation of the item itself. The Meissen senses
(sight, smell, sound, taste, touch) originally modelled by
Schoenheit in the 1770's are always very popular and together
with the monkey band (produced by Kaendler in the 1750's and
refined by Reinicke in the 1760's) are good examples of sets
we have been able to complete for many collectors worldwide.
Photo 2 shows 4 examples from the set of Monkey band figures
of which there are 21 in total excluding the music stand.

Rare & Unusual Meissen
pieces are also a staple of our business and photo 3 shows
a very fine pair of vases depicting hunting scenes that were
shown at the Halle exhibition (near Leipzig) in 1881. Photo
4 is a more recent study of a lion by Erich Oehme dated 1939
and below that some other objects that typify Meissen's skill
and artistry that has kept their porcelain in the forefront
for three centuries.

Our Guarantee
is based on our business principals that are supported by
the LAPADA
code of conduct. All Meissen porcelain is delicate in
nature and with age it is therefore accepted that damages
do occur. It is our policy to only sell pieces that are in
the best possible condition with only minor restoration to
extremities, such as leaves and petals, a finger, toe, feathers
and other similar protuberances. We will never sell items
with major damage (eg. figures broken at the head or waist)
and we are very happy to provide full restoration reports
for each of our pieces, upon request. In addition, all of
our restorations are made in porcelain and not made
using the polyurethane substance that 99% of industry wide
restorers use. At every step of the way quality and service
is our aim. Worldwide shipping is easily arranged by our trusted
fine art packers and shippers, no matter the size or weight
of the item purchased.

Meissen
Porcelainwas the
first of it's kind to be produced in Europe. The factory is
today, still owned by the state of Saxony who were pioneers
in the art of fine porcelain production, established in 1710
by Augustus The Strong at Albrechtsburg castle. The castle
and surrounding area can often be seen, finely painted on
a range of Meissen wares.

An edited list of notable
dates....... January 3rd
1710 marks the invention of Meissen hard paste porcelain and
June 6th the factory is opened. By 1712, twenty three Craftsmen
are employed and in 1713 the first white hard paste porcelain
goes to sale at the Leipzig Easter Fair. In 1714 the first
showroom opens in Dresden and 3 years later (28th August 1717),
Augustus II is presented with the first example of under glaze
blue painting on Meissen porcelain. 1722 sees the first polychrome
decorated porcelain for sale at the Leipzig fair and the introduction
of the now iconic Meissen cross swords mark, taken from the
Saxonian coat of arms to protect the porcelain's authenticity
for years to come. Johann Joachim Kaendler is employed as
a modeller in 1731. By 1765 Meissen has in employment a total
of 731 men.

While quality and consistency is paramount at the Meissen
factory, every item, as hand made, has differences and nuances.
This means that no two pieces are ever exactly alike. Each
piece bears the imprint of the individual artist's hand (modeller,
assembler and painters alike), a distinction that is almost
beyond price. Of course there have been distinctive variations
over Meissen's 300 year history but in the latter half of
the 19th century the quality of finish and decorators artistry
surpassed itself. It is this excellence that many of our customers
prize (e.g. photo 5, a monumental centrepiece modelled by
Hirt and exhibited in Munich in 1888).

The
Meissen Factory & Museumhas
to be on the "to do list" if you have a love for
it's porcelain. Although the modern day factory is not open
to the public, the workshop tour within the museum is an education
in the production of Meissen wares and the exhibits of 19th
century Meissen is certainly worthwhile.